I found house hunting in Singas like shopping for that pair of shoes that you have in your head, but can't find. You search for what feels like every second of every day but just can't find them OR you find them but they are 5 times what you're willing to pay AND they don't fit. Very frustrating.
As with shoe shopping. Also a task that is best done on your own, not with your husband :P
Apartments or condos as they call them in Singapore are traditionally a lot smaller than in Australia. In particular, the cupboard / storage space is almost non existent in some... My theory here is that from what I've seen, the majority of locals and expats are hot and skinny SO they wear smaller (and less) clothing. Therefore they require less cupboard space!
This is far from the case with me... my curvaceous figure and love of clothing and shoes means... excess cupboard space is required... my hubby also has enough T-shirts to clothe a small army, as well as a forever growing collection of suits and business shirts - SO the challenge was on!
When moving O/S, another tough call is 'where' to live. Singapore (compared to Aus is SO small, smaller than Sydney!) but there are SO many districts to choose from. Our short list was the East Coast and the central region. After much discussion, advice from other expats and many viewings, we opted for the central region near Novena. The main reason being that the 'general consensus' was that the East Coast was more suited to families (we have no plan to extend ours anytime soon) and that being a young 'new' couple in Singapore, we should be at the centre of the action :)
Price is another issue... wow is renting EXPENSIVE in Singapore! Monthly rental is around 3x Sydney rental prices (and we think they're expensive!). Not to mention, you also need to factor in stamp duty, radio and TV license charge, ALL utilities, pay TV (only 3 local free to air channels with minimal content and not all English speaking programs) and any servicing/repair charges for all appliances provided by the landlord (oven, stove, microwave, fridge, washing machine, dryer, aircon..).
You are also locked into a 2 year contract - you can only break the contract if you leave the country AND you must pay the balance of rent owing...
The positive things about real estate in Singapore (yes there are positives); Firstly, you have your own agent to show you around (So, there is an agent that represents the owner and an agent that represents the tenant). My agent was fabulous (Thanks Charles!), he doubled as a tour guide, giving me the tourist spiel as we flitted about from place to place.
Secondly, the apartments and complex facilities (or 'projects' as they call them here) are AMAZING. Most have a resort style pool area, gym, tennis court/s, outdoor areas, BBQ pits and common rooms you can book for private functions.
After my initial recon mission in July + 1 full week of searching when we first arrived here, we settled on a place and started leasing from the 1st Oct. We really had to lock in a place by the first week of Oct anyhow, given we were flying out to the wedding in Aus on the 8th and we had to be out of our serviced apartment on the 15th! Nothing wrong with a bit of pressure!
After living in a serviced apartment for 4 weeks with 'hotel feel' furniture and fixtures that just weren't really 'us'. We are very very happy with our decision. We are in a brand new condo with fabulous facilities, close to the city and an MRT line. Our condo will soon be offering a free shuttle to the Novena shops/MRT, so convenient and cost efficient! AND we have a variety of food outlets and a 24 hour open air Hokka Centre within 8 minutes walk from our door step. Love it!
Dare I say... home sweet home?
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